


Bets and Baby Birds

by FandomLife54



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Getting Together, Happy Ending, I suck at tags, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin Drabble, Really If I Tag More I'll Give the Whole Plot, Short One Shot, So I'm just Gonna Stop, just for fun, of course, quick fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-14 23:59:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13601223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLife54/pseuds/FandomLife54
Summary: Maybe it was the fact that it had never happened before. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush of the moment, that he didn’t see it coming. Maybe he was too preoccupied simultaneously saving his friends and hiding from them, that he hadn’t given it a second thought before he’s using his magic to rip the branch from a high treetop.The second he does, though, he hears it.OR some feel-good Merlin drabble I wanted to share.





	Bets and Baby Birds

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Man it's been awhile. I felt like it's been too long, so I wrote a quick fic to post! Forgive me if their are errors, I am finishing much later into the night than I should be. I will revise and correct later but until then, please enjoy this short fic of what I hope is fluff and humor. If you like it, share some kudos, and if you reaallly like it, please leave a comment! I love hearing from you guys, truly. Thanks a ton and enjoy! :)

Maybe it was the fact that it had never happened before. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush of the moment, that he didn’t see it coming. Maybe he was too preoccupied simultaneously saving his friends and hiding from them, that he hadn’t given it a second thought before he’s using his magic to rip the branch from a high treetop.

 

The second he does, though, he hears it.

 

“NO!”

 

As the fallen lumber smacks into the stray bandit -- successfully knocking him out -- and the dust of the battle settles, Merlin stands alone with his eyes glowing gold and his hands stretched out, palms up, like a cradle, a birds nest far across the clearing floating just above the broken tree branch it was perched on. 

 

The silence is dense and heavy against his muscles. His eyes flicker from the baby birds chirping obliviously in their nest, to the sharp splinters of wood twisted upright, foreboding, beneath them, to his feet. He never looks to the knights or his king, but he can feel every one of their eyes on him. 

 

“ _ Damn it, Merlin!”  _ The warlock flinches, nest wobbling as his hands tremble and his heart races. “Saving a nest of chicks, of all things?  _ Really _ ?”

 

Merlin’s head jerks up at the round of laughs that erupts from his friends. 

 

“Alright, Princess, quit your whining and pay up,” Gwaine laughs, Arthur grumbling as he reaches into his pocket and flicks the man a gold coin. Leon snatches it, midair.

 

“Ah, ah. You bet Merlin would be saving Arthur. The bandit was nowhere near him, he was fine.” Gwaine conceded, puffing his lower lip, and Leon looks to Lancelot. “What did you wager, again?”

 

Lancelot chuckles. “That he’d be killing something magical. But there’s nothing magical about this,” he taps the limp leg of the bandit with his foot. “Elyan said he’d be doing chores.”

 

“I’m not wrong,” Elyan objects with a toothy grin. “He just hasn’t been caught yet.”

 

“Well, Arthur said he would just be fooling around. I said Merlin would eventually tell him. That leaves…”

 

All eyes turn to Percival leaning casually against a tree, the largest smile plastered across his face. 

 

“HA! That’s right! Perc bet he’d be saving someone. Birds are someone.” Gwaine jabs him with his elbow and hands him a gold coin. “You bastard, you’re buying drinks tonight.”

 

Merlin watches the knights go one by one to Percival, the large man simply holding his palm out as the coins collect in his hand. Stuck debating whether this is actually reality or not, he misses Arthur strolling up to him.

 

“Close your mouth, Merlin. You look like an idiot.” 

 

His teeth snap together immediately and the twinge of pain from the impact has Arthur sending him an unimpressed look. “You… knew. You all knew.”

 

“Of course we did, we’re not blind.”

 

“You  _ bet  _ on how I’d get caught.”

 

“Well since you insist on  _ cheating _ when we actually play games,” Merlin has the gall to look sheepish, “we decided to make our own.”

 

His arms are growing heavy but he still feels too nervous to drop them. “Does this mean you’re not going to execute me?”

 

He expects a snort or some sort of tease, or maybe a pair of cuff to be slapped on -- maybe skip that part and go straight to the sword through his stomach. What he doesn’t expect is Arthur turning his head to look Merlin directly in the eyes, voice soft yet steadfast.

 

“That was never an option, Merlin.” 

 

He turns his head once again and Merlin follows his line of vision to the knights, rowdy and arguing logistics over something or another. Something that has them bursting into fits of laughter as easily as any other day. Merlin feels a bit too fuzzy to try and figure out what.

 

“Do you forgive me?” he hears himself ask.

 

“I don’t know. You’ve conned us out of more than a few gold coins at the tavern.” The corner of Arthur’s lip pulls when his word sink in, Merlin choking out a wet chuckle as he wipes his eyes against his shoulders. “Do you have a plan for that nest or should I expect three new squatters to be moving into the physician’s chambers? Gods knows I can barely handle the last prattling stray that wandered in there.”

 

“Oh, right,” Merlin clears his throat. Rolling his shoulders, he blows out a steadying breath, aware all eyes are once again on him. 

 

He steps forward, dropping his left hand and stretching it out toward the fallen branch.  The hand still holding the nest floats it higher, both hands raising in unison as the objects climb back to their origin. When the splintered branch touches the tree once more, the sharp edges smooth, creeping back into their gaps and locking in place, and the nest lands gently back on top. For extra measure, Merlin pulls some of the thicker vines and coils them around the branch and trunk in X’s, securing it indefinitely. 

 

Gwaine slaps his back, hooking his arm around his shoulder. “Nice work, mate. Let’s get you a drink, yeah?” 

 

Merlin matches his smile. “I could definitely use a drink.” 

 

His friends grunt their agreements, patting his head and ruffling his hair as they pass him on the way to the horses. It’s Arthur who stays behind, taking his spot next to Merlin only after the others are out of earshot.

 

“I don’t know everything,” he begins and Merlin holds his breath. “There’s certainly a lot you’ve managed to keep from me all these years, but I want to hear all of it. The good and the bad.” Merlin startles and looks down to watch as warm fingers twine with his own. His eyes flicker back to Arthur but the man has his gaze locked on the ground. “And then maybe I’ll be able to share a few secrets of my own.”

 

Merlin squeezes his hand lightly, dipping his head forward so their foreheads lie gently against each other. “What if magic isn’t my only secret?” he whispers, breath brushing against Arthur’s lips. 

 

The king’s eyes fix on his servant’s mouth. “Then I’ll hear every word.”

 

“Good,” he exhales, their lips sealing together in a perfect fit. His arms circle around his chest as Arthur curls a hand into black, moppy locks. 

 

“YES!” Merlin and Arthur jump apart, the blond already reaching for his sword. Gwaine is half off his horse in his excitement, the other knights rolling their eyes as they reach into their pockets and satchels. “I WIN!”

 

The two men look at each other, cheeks flushed. Hesitating for just a moment, Merlin offers his hand out and, thankfully, Arthur takes it. As Gwaine is pelted with gold coins from every direction -- welcoming the onslaught with a victorious grin --  the king and his warlock make their way to their horses, starting their ride back home. 

  
  



End file.
